Older (free) online and PDF versions are also available
at the bottom of this page. Some of the links in the text may no
longer be
working.

From the Introduction

Japanese people often ask foreigners why they came to Japan.
It is not always an easy question to answer. There are many, often
complicated, reasons that bring foreigners to Japan. The Many Roads
to Japan tells the story of the adventures of one foreigner who had
to follow many twists
and turns in his life journey before finding his niche in Japan.

College-aged students will find they have much in common with
John Banks, the main character of this story. As with today's youth,
who find themselves in a world that no longer offers them any
guarantees and yet demands from them crucial decisions to be made at an
early age, so it was with John Banks and his generation, who in their
teenage years were also faced with making important decisions in a
turbulent, changing world. The decisions made between the ages of 18
and 22 can have a strong effect on the rest of
one's life and even catapult one in unimagined directions, both
emotional and physical.

The key event in John's life was his decision to refuse to
fight in the Vietnam War. This decision launched him on a search that
ultimately led him around the world and finally to Japan. The Many
Roads to Japan chronicles that search. I hope that The Many
Roads to Japan, in showing how John's perseverance and faith in
himself helped him survive many ordeals and realize his dreams, will
serve as a source of inspiration for young readers facing an
increasingly uncertain future.

The various exercises at the end of every chapter are designed
both to provide a review of the most important information contained in
the chapters and to give practice in skimming for main ideas and
scanning for specific kinds of information. If done in class, the
teacher should use strict
time limits to encourage the development of these important reading
skills.
The discussion/essay questions are meant to involve students personally
in the story by asking them to respond to the events in John's life and
relate them to their own experiences. For listening practice, students
can listen to the podcast of
this story by clicking the link at the top of this page.

Teachers who would like to obtain a copy of the answer sheet
for all end-of-chapter questions can contact me via e-mail at the
address listed below.
Just substitute the @ mark for the letters "AT." I
would also appreciate any comments, criticism, suggestions, and
reactions you have about this book. If you find any broken links or
would like
to recommend other links, please feel free to let me know.

P.S. Teachers
and students are welcome to read the entire book on my home page. Click
here
to read
Part 1 (chapters 1-5). Click here to read
Part 2 (chapters 6-9). An older and free PDF version (1.5 MB) can also
be
downloaded by clicking here.